Thailand kicks off the 2026 championship season

Friday, February 27th

The first Free Practice sessions of 2026 opened with encouraging feedback on a track offering more grip than expected. The Snipers riders immediately positioned themselves on the edge of the Top 10, beginning to post competitive lap times to build on ahead of the Thai weekend.
Despite the high asphalt temperatures, which significantly affected tire wear, lap times continued to improve until the checkered flag, providing positive indications ahead of Practice.

Weather conditions were uncertain for Practice, with variable cloud cover ready to influence the course of the session.
Jesus Rios started strongly once again, quickly moving into the top 14 with the goal of securing direct access to Q2. Nicola Carraro was further down the order in the early stages, focusing on finding the best setup to deliver an effective lap toward the end.
Rios showed great consistency throughout the session, steadily maintaining a Top 10 position and finishing with an excellent seventh place, earning direct qualification to Q2. There were also positive signs of progress for Carraro who, despite not securing direct access to Q2, significantly improved his references compared to FP1, lowering his time attack by around seven tenths of a second.

Saturday, February 28th

An excellent start in FP2 for Jesus Rios, who immediately moved into the top positions from his very first flying lap. A different approach for Nicola Carraro, who initially opted for a longer run without immediately going for a time attack, focusing instead on race pace and tire behavior analysis.
After a couple of pit stops to fine-tune some details, Rios continued to improve, finishing the session in ninth place and confirming himself as the best rookie on track. In the closing stages, Carraro also attempted a time attack, managing to lower his benchmark compared to the previous day.

Qualifying proved more complicated than expected: particularly hot asphalt and heavy traffic significantly affected the search for a fast lap.
In Q1, Nicola Carraro struggled to find a clean lap within the 15 minutes available, often having to deal with traffic. Although he did not secure a place in Q2, the gap to the top remained limited, leaving positive prospects ahead of the race.

Jesus Rios’ Q2 session was also influenced by traffic and limited time to complete an ideal lap. These factors prevented him from repeating his morning result, but his lap-time references remain encouraging ahead of the Grand Prix, where his ability to fight within the group could prove to be a key factor all the way to the checkered flag.

Sunday, March 1st

An even hotter Sunday than the previous days added further uncertainty to race preparation, putting both riders and machinery under significant strain.
Jesus Rios made an excellent start, immediately moving into the points positions during the opening lap and latching onto a particularly competitive group. Nicola Carraro, for his part, defended his position with determination in the early stages, also managing to complete a few overtakes in the opening laps.

As the laps went by, the groups quickly spread out, reducing opportunities for slipstream strategies and turning the middle phase of the race into a series of close battles, especially for Rios. The young Spaniard, despite constantly changing positions, showed grit and composure, responding move for move and staying in the fight for the points until the closing stages. Carraro, although further back, managed to build a gap over his pursuers, maintaining a consistent pace and handling a race made particularly challenging by the extreme weather conditions.

In the final laps, a series of overtakes saw Rios cross the line in 17th position, just outside the points: a result that, considering the difficulties of the weekend and the extreme conditions, still represents a positive sign on his debut at this circuit. Further back was Nicola Carraro in 23rd place, at the end of a demanding race that nevertheless allowed him to recover some positions and gather valuable data ahead of the upcoming rounds.

Commenti

Nicola Carraro knows where to work with the team:
“In this race we had a few issues, but we are working hard to be competitive. Getting back to being fast is the priority. Now we’re looking forward to making our debut at the new circuit in Brazil.”

Jesus Rios is starting to find his rhythm:
“It wasn’t an easy race, my first time on this circuit and in very hot conditions, but it definitely helped me get up to speed. We’ll keep working well and now we can’t wait to fly to Brazil.”